Thin leaflike sheet and method of making the same.



CHRISTOPHER J. HEALY, 015' NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIG'NOR CHARLES BRUECKNER, 0F BROOKLYN 0F THREE-EIGHTHS TO NEW YQRK, AND GIVE-FOURTH T0 JAMES HAMILTON, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

THIN LEAFLIKE SHEET AND METHOD OF BZIAKING THE SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. d, i918.

No Drawing. original application filed December 2, 1909, Serial No. 531,050. Divided and this application filed April 15, 1911.

Serial No. 821,393!

T 0 all whom 2'2 may concern Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER Josnrn .l'iEALY. a citizen 0' the United States, residing at the borough of Brooklyn, city of New York, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thin Leaflike Sheets and Methods of Making the Same. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements ll) leafiike material for use in the arts; and an object of this invention is to provide such a leaflike material and a method of making the same which will be simple, comparatively cheap and most efficient.

I have discovered that leafiike material may be made from resinous substances, such as resins, gums and copals; and the method by which I treat the resinous substance to produce the leafiike material is as follows: If commercial gum or resin is used, it will be found to contain a certain amount of soft, more readily saponifiable substance which should be removed. To do this, the resinous material is reduced to a liquid state by heating it and theresulting liquid is then mixed with a suitable saponifier, such as caustic soda. The soap produced by the resulting reaction is washed away and the resinous substance is thus thoroughly cleansed of the soft, more readilyfsaponifiable matter just mentioned. The resinous matter which is left after this saponification treatment is now allowed to dry and is nextdissolved in any suitable solvent,

- such as alcohol, ether, acetone, amyl acetate,

- of a two benzole, naphtha, gasolene, benzin, turpentine or a mixture of any two or more of these solvents. To the solution so formed, an oil is added, care being taken that the oil used is compatible with the particular solvent or solvents to which it is added. A

pared to receive the solution so that, when the latter is poured upon the surface, it will spread out in a thin sheet without adhering to the latter.

Such a surface'is the surface acid.

When the solution of oil, resinous substanceand. solvent is poured upon the nonadherent surface, it spreads out in a thin layer, sheetor film which is allowed'to dry saponifiable part thereof. s next pre-' per cent (2%) solution of nitric and is then cut to the size required by the trade. I

The lesflike material may be readily given any desired color. For this purpose a suitable coloring matter or pigment is added to the solution of the resinous substance. if the leaflike material is to be colored and opaque, an earthy pigmentor coloring sub stance may be used; while if the leaflike material is to be colored and yet transparent, an aniline coloring substance may be added. If coloring substances are used, the oil used should be such as is compatible with the coloring matter selected. The latter should be such as will mix freely and readily with the oil and solvent to which it is added.

As examples of the oils which may be found suitable for use in the preparation of my new leafiilre material, the following may be named: essential oils. mineral oils. paraffin oil, fusel oil, linseed oil, castor oil, kidney oil, olive oil and Chinese wood oil; but any oil compatible with a mixture of spirits and coloring matter may be used.

ong the resinous substances which may be used the following ,may be named: copals, sandarach, mastic, dammar gum, rosin and pitch. As a specific illustrative example the following may be given: Let it be supposed that Zanzibar gum is used. This gum is first treated with a suitable alkali, such as caustic pot-ash or caustic soda,,whereby the soft, more readily saponifiable commercial gum is removed. Any one skilled in this art may treat the gum with lye so as to avoid the corrosion of the body of the gum; and the residue left treatment will, therefore, consist of the body part of the commercial gum which remains after the removal of the soft, more readily This resinous residue is now dissolved in a suitable solvent, such as alcohol. the residue, forty-five (45) pounds of alcoafter this For one pound of part of the hol are taken; and to the solution thus formed are added, three (3) pounds of castor oil, which is an oil compatible with alcohol. The character and the amount of the coloring matter will depend upon the nature of the leaf desired and the tint or.

shade to be reduced. If an opaque leaf is to be pro uced, earthy coloring matter ioo.

is used, while if a transparent leaf is to be made, aniline coloring matter is used. The amount of the coloring matter used will depend upon the depth of shade desired.

I regard as an important feature of my invention the saponification treatment of the gum; for, if the gum be not so treated, the leaf will stick to the hot die and will, moreover, be-spotted and weak.

It will be understood that the oil serves to make the solution spread out freely upon the surface of the nitric acid solution (or non-adherent surface) and the volatile, solvent used rapidly evaporates, leaving a thin leafiike sheet of resinous substance which is dried, out in sizes and placed between leaves (as of paper) for safety. But the dried-out leaflike sheet ofresinous substance does not, however, necessarily contain oil as an ingredient or constituent.

This application is filed as a divisional application under United States Patent l lo. 990,261, granted April 25, 1911.

l clalm:

1. A thin leaflike sheet the body of which consists of resinous matter which remains after the soft, more readily saponifiable part of the commercial resinous substance has been removed.

2 A thin leafiike sheet having a body of resinous matter which remains after the soft, more readily saponifiable part of the commercial resinous substance has been removed and with which a coloring matter has been incorporated.

3. A thin leafiike sheet having a body of resinous matter which remains alter the noaneas soft, more readily saponifiable part of the commercial resinous substance has been removed and with which an oil has thereafter been mixed.

4. A thin leafiike sheet having a body of resinous matter which remains after the soft, more readily saponifiable part of the commercial resinous substance has been removed and with which an oil and coloring matter have been mixed.

5. The process which consists in depriving a resinous substance of its soft, readily saponifiable part and then forming the resinous residue'into a thin leaflike sheet.

6. The process which consists in depriving a resinous substance of its soft, readily saponifiable part and then forming the resinous residue into'a thin colored leaflike sheet,

7. The process which consists in depriving a resinous substance of its soft, readily saponifiable part; mixing the resinous residue with an oil; and forming from the mixture a thin leaflike sheet.

8. The process which consists in depriving a resinous substance of its soft, readily saponifiable part; mixing the resinous residue with an oil; and formin from the mixture :1 thincolored-leaflike sleet.

Signed at Brooklyn, New York, this eight (8) day of April, 1911, in the presence of the two undersigned witnesses.

OISTOPER J. HEALY.

VVithesses:

CHARLES BRUECKNER, GUSTAVE' R. Warmers. 

